SKILL CATEGORY 10 TESTING NEW TECHNOLOGIES

 (1)RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY

 Questions we must ask
 Is new technology utilized on the project being tested?
 If so, what are the concerns and risks associated with using that
technology?
 If significant risks exist how will the testing process address those risks?
 Unproven technology
 There is not enough experience to back up marketing data
 Technology is defective
 It doesn’t work like it should
 Inefficient technology
 It fails to achieve the productivity gains associated with it.
 Technology incompatible with other implemented technologies
 It might not be useful if you can’t incorporate it with existing technologies
 New technology obsoletes existing implemented technologies
 We should assume that because of the new technology, some old
technology will probably be classified as obsolete
 Variance between documentation and technology execution

 The documentation may be inaccurate leading to believing that the

technology is inefficient.
 Staff not competent to use new technology
 Training and deployment processes may be needed to assure the
organization has the adequate competency to use the new technology
effectively and efficiently.
 Lack of understanding how to optimize the new technology
 Not all aspects of it may be used, therefore the company is missing
something
 Technology not incorporated into the organization’s work processes

 This is typical implementation of new technologies at technology maturity

Level 1. At this level, management cannot control how the new technology
will be used in the IT organization. Typical at technology maturity Level 1
 Obsolete testing tools

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 The implementation of new technology may obsolete the use of existing

testing [Link] technologies may require new testing methods and
tools.
 Inadequate vendor support
 The IT staff may need assistance in using and testing the technology, but
are unable to attain that assistance from the vendor.

 (2)NEWER IT TECHNOLOGIES THAT IMPACT SOFTWARE TESTING

 WEB-BASED APPLICATIONS

 A Web-based system consists of hardware components, software components,

and users. Having an understanding of a Web application's internal
components and how those components interface with one another

 Understanding the interaction between the components offers a different

perspective than that of the developers

 This discussion will focus on the software components of a typical Web-based

system:
 Client-based components on the front end, such as Web browsers, plug-ins, and
embedded objects
o Web browsers, plug-ins, and embedded objects
 Server-side components on the back end, such as application server components,
database applications, third-party modules, and cross-component communication
o Application server components, database applications, third-party
modules, and cross-component communication
 DISTRIBUTED APPLICATION ARCHITECTURE
 Traditional Client-Server Systems
o User interface (UI) code – the end-user or input/output (I/O) devices
interact with this for I/O operations.
o Business logic code – applies rules, computes data, and manipulates
data.
o Data-access service code – handles data retrieval and updates to the
database, in addition to sending results back to the client.

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o Data storage – holds the information.

 Thin-client system
o When the majority of processing is executed on the server-side, a
system is considered to be a thin-client system
o In a thin-client system, the user interface runs on the client host while
all other components run on the server host(s). The server is
responsible for all services. After retrieving and processing data, only a
plain HTML page is sent back to the client.
o Testing should focus on server and network performance
 Thick-client system
o When the majority of processing is executed on the client-side, a
system is considered to be a thick-client system.
o ActiveX and Java applets run on the client, instead of the server
o Testing should focus on client performance and compatibility
 WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES
 Common Issues
o Electromagnetic interference and physical obstacles that limit coverage
of wireless network
 Specific Issue:
 Standards
o A major obstacle for deployment of wireless networks is the existence
of multiple standards. These devices will be either analog or digital
standards that differ primarily in the way in which they process signals
and encode information.
o While GSM is the only widely supported standard in Europe and Asia,
multiple standards are inuse in the U.S. As a result, the U.S. has
lagged in wireless networks deployment. Just recently, organizations
have been formed to ensure network and device interoperability
 Coverage
o Coverage mainly depends on the output power of the transmitter, its
location and frequency used to transmit data. For example, lower
frequencies are more forgiving when it comes to physical obstacles,
like walls and stairways, while high frequencies require clear line of
sight. For each particular application, throughput decreases as distance
from the transmitter or access point increases.

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 Security
o Data security is a major issue for wireless due to the nature of the
transmission mechanism, which the electromagnetic signals are
passing through the air. It is commonly believed that voice applications
are less secure than data applications
 In WLANs, authentication and encryption provide data security. Current
implementations include:
o MAC address-based access lists on access points, where only
registered and recognizedMAC addresses are accepted and allowed to
join the network.
o A closed wireless system, where users have to know the non-
advertised network name to join.
o RADIUS server-based authentication, where users are authenticated
against a centralized
o RADIUS server based on their MAC address or their username and
password.
o Wireless Equivalency Privacy (WEP) utilizes data encryption with 40-bit
or 128-bit keys that are hidden from users. WEP provides three
options, depending on the level of security needed: no encryption of
data, combination of encrypted and non-encrypted data, and forced
data encryption.
o High security solutions for encryption are proprietary. Both the Cisco
AP-350 and
o Lucent/Agere AS-2000 offer per user/per session encryption keys and
authenticates users based on a username/password scheme.
o
o Ease of use
 NEW APPLICATION BUSINESS MODELS
 e-commerce
o The best way to look at e-commerce is to think of it as the conducting
of business communication and transactions over networks and
through computers. Some may even define electronic commerce as
the buying and selling of goods and services, and the transfer of funds,
through digital communications
 E-business

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o e-business (electronic business) is, in its simplest form, the conduct of

business on the Internet. Itis a more generic term than eCommerce
because it refers to not only buying and selling but alsoservicing
customers and collaborating with business partners.
o IBM, in 1997, was one of the first to use the term when it launched a
campaign built around the term. Today, many corporations are
rethinking their businesses in terms of the Internet and its capabilities.
Companies are using the Web to buy parts and supplies from other
companies, to collaborate on sales promotions, and to do joint
research. Exploiting the convenience, availability,and global reach of
the Internet, many companies, both large and small have already
discoveredhow to use the Internet successfully.
 NEW COMMUNICATION METHODS
 Voice and Messaging
o The analog standard is the Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS).
o The digital standards are: Global System for Mobile Communications
(GSM),Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), or Code Division Multiple
Access (CDMA).
o Cell-phones, pagers, and commercial two-way business radios
o Analog standard is AMPS
o Digital standards are GSM, TDMA, CDMA
o FCC(Federal Communications Commission)allots different carriers
different frequencies
o Current rates are 16 Kbps. 3G will provide 30-times faster transfer
rates
o Interoperability issues galore
 Hand-Held and Internet-Enabled Devices
o Internet-enabled cell phones and PDAs
o Limitations include: Low bandwidth, low quality of service, high cost,
the need for additional equipment, and high utilization of devices’
battery power
 Data Networking
o WLANs and broadband wireless
 WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

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o Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) are implemented as an

extension to wired LANs within a building and can provide the final few
meters of connectivity between a wired network and the mobile user
 Access Points
o An access point/base station connects to a LAN by means of Ethernet
cable. Usually installed in the ceiling, access points receive, buffer, and
transmit data between the WLAN and the wired network infrastructure.
A single access point supports on average twenty users and has a
coverage varying from 60+ feet in areas with obstacles (walls,
stairways, elevators) and up to 300+ feet in areas with clear line of
sight. A building may require several access points to provide complete
coverage and allow users to roam seamlessly between access points.
 Wireless Client Adapter
o A wireless adapter connects users via an access point to the rest of the
LAN. A wireless adapter can be a PC card in a laptop, a USB adapter or
a PCI adapter in a desktop computer, or can be fully integrated within
a handheld device.
 Broadband Wireless
o Broadband wireless (BW) is an emerging wireless technology that
allows simultaneous wirelessdelivery of voice, data, and video. BW is
considered a competing technology with Digital Subscriber Line (DSL).
o Local multi-point distribution service (LMDS)
o Multi-channel multi-point distribution service (MMDS)
 Bluetooth
o Bluetooth is a technology specification for small form factor, low-cost,
short-range wireless links between mobile PCs, mobile phones, and
other portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet. The
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is driving development of the
technology and bringing it to market and includes promoter companies
such as, 3Com, Ericsson, IBM, Intel,Lucent, Motorola, Nokia, and over
1,800 Adopter/Associate member companies.
 NEW TESTING TOOLS – TEST AUTOMATION
o Test Automation is the use of software to control the execution of
tests, the comparison of actual outcomes to predicted outcomes, the

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setting up of test preconditions, and other test control and test

reporting functions
o Often seen as a time saver
o Testing frameworks are also used
o JUnit and NUnit
o Helped to drive test driven development
o Partial automation tools are useful as well
o Product installation, test data creation, GUI interaction, problem
detection, defect logging

 (3)TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTEGRATING NEW TECHNOLOGIES

 Determine the Process Maturity Level of the Technology
o Level 1 - People-Dependent Technology
 The technology is available to use by individuals at their
discretion
o Level 2 - Use Description-Dependent Technology Processes
 There are processes in place for the technologies use, but
projects can vary from those processes if desired
o LEVEL 3 - Use of Technology
 The processes are determined to be effective and compliance to
those processes are required
o level 4 - Quantitatively Measured Technology
 Once the processes are determined to be effecting, they should
be measured – need to make sure that the data collected is
reliable before optimizing processes
o level 5 - Optimized Use of Technology
 The data from level 4 will enable the optimization of the use of
technology

 The controls over implementing the new technology

 Test Actual Performance versus Stated Performance
o Does the technology accomplish its stated benefits?
o Assumptions about new technology don’t have the experience behind
them that older technologies have
o
o Documentation represents actual technology execution

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o Training courses transfer the needed knowledge to use the technology

o New technology is compatible with existing technology
o Stated performance criteria represent actual performance criteria
o Promised vendor support equals actual vendor support
o Expected test processes and tools are effective in testing new
technologies
 Test the Adequacy of the Current Processes to Control the Technology
o Do implemented work processes assure the technology will be used in
an effective and efficient manner?
o Process – Standards, Procedure, and Quality Control
o Compliance – Management’s desires that workers follow the
procedures
o Enforcement – What happens when procedures aren’t followed
o If testers determine that processes are not adequate
 Identify risk and report it
 Identify potentially ineffective parts of the process
 Conduct tests to identify specific problems and assessing the
potential impact on the end product
 Test the adequacy of staff skills to use the technology
 Professional processes have two parts
o Process itself
o Competency of the process user to use that process effectively

 As we work up the maturity level there is a transfer of knowledge – from the user
to the process
 Should look into:
o Technological process maturity level
o Training available in the new technology
o The performance evaluation of individuals to use the new technology

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